Living Open Handed

When Nate proposed, he gave me a gorgeous 3/4 carat round cut diamond. I have always received compliments for its look, and have been quick to respond, "Thanks, he did a great job." He picked it out himself, and had it inscribed with our shared initials NJV. The first time I took it for cleaning, they let me verify the inclusions with the jeweler's loop to ensure they matched the map on the certification sheet. Inclusions are the fancy jewelry term for flaws . Small black dots, lines and squiggles hang out in my diamond. Most aren't visible to the naked eye, but under certain light and at certain angles, I can see one in my ring. At first, it really bothered me. I felt like my diamond wasn't good enough, that Nate had been swindled by our jeweler (this happened to coincide with a string of trips to the jewelry store that left me bitter... maybe a post for another time), and hated that my perfect diamond wasn't perfect. Now after 7 years of being married, th...

"If you're offended by someone you aren't loving them by holding a grudge. Because you're allowing them to potentially hurt someone else the same way. You also aren't setting yourself up for success in relationships with other people by carrying it around." - From a friend, at our community group "But maybe God doesn’t have a name for each individual event that happens to us. He just calls it all good (Romans 8:28). Nothing in God’s will is isolated from the abundance He intends for us." -She Reads Truth; Advent 2015 Day 10 This year is already different than last year. Last year, I was trying to find a way to feel like myself again. Last year, I was stuck in unhealthy habits, physically and spiritually. But this year... I still have room for growth. God is showing me exactly what my sphere of influence is and how I need to function in it. I have been praying for God to put people into my life that need him. People who need me to show ...